Delhi reels under rising heat for sixth consecutive day

Delhi faced a scorcher for the sixth consecutive day as the maximum temperature on Wednesday hit the 42-degrees Celsius mark.

The warm west northwest wind gusting at around 21 kilometres per hour escalated the day temperature post noon. According to weather officials, the next three days would witness hotter, sunny conditions with day temperature constantly breaching the 40 degree mark.  

Towards the weekend, Mercury is set to fall by a degree or two with cloudy conditions taking over. 

Meanwhile, many in the city are feeling the heat – which includes a Tihar inmate. Sahara chief Subrata Roy on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to pass an early order on his petition challenging his detention, saying temperature in Delhi has gone up and he is not feeling well, said a PTI report. 

Those outside the jail dithered over whether to step out or stay indoors. The city roads therefore saw less than the usual traffic. Only bus or truck breakdown caused minor traffic hiccups, said the Delhi traffic police.

The weather in Delhi during the first three weeks of April had largely been pleasant but since Wednesday last, temperatures have seen a rising trend, said Skymet, a private weather forecasting agency. The weathermen say that northward shift of western disturbances in later part of April is the reason behind increasing temperature. 

With peak summer approaching, many areas of Delhi have started facing water and electricity supply crisis. The residents of Mahipalpur in South West Delhi, for instance, are depending on the water tankers of the Delhi Jal Board. 

Last week, in a secretariat meeting, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung had asked the Delhi Jal Board and power companies to ensure adequate supply of water and uninterrupted power supply.